A property mogul says errant tenants have cost him thousands of pounds in plumbing repairs just by flushing baby wipes down the toilet.

Fergus Wilson who owns scores of properties in Ashford with his wife Judith, said that those who flush away the wipes are creating big problems, particularly in newer properties where pipes may be buried below a concrete floor.

He said that in two recent cases it has cost him as much as £3,000 to dig up floors in order to reach the pipes, which is equivalent to losing six months in rent.

Mr Wilson said: “It’s a major problem, especially if a pipe cannot be unblocked using a rod. To dig up the floor costs thousands, it’s six months worth of rent gone.

“These baby wipes are using the same material as kitchen wipes, but you wouldn’t flush them down the toilet.”

His concerns echo those of the water companies, which estimate the cost of blocked drains reaches £200 million every year.

They say residents need to be more aware of what they flush down the toilet and what goes down the sink, and say they’ve even found items such as space hoppers, dead sheep, body parts, and adult toys causing blockages.

Southern Water says it has dealt with 20,000 blockages across its network of sewers in the south east last year.

The company’s wastewater manager Tim Bagnall said: “Sewer flooding can be a really upsetting experience for our customers.

“Everyone in the water industry knows that fat, oil, grease and unflushables are one of the biggest causes of internal flooding.

“But it’s amazing how few of our customers make the link between what they flush down toilets and pour down sinks and the sewage flooding their home, if they’re unlucky enough to experience it.

“At least 95% cent of wipes on the market are not designed to be flushable, and even those that say they are can cause blockages.

“When even a small blockage can cause sewage to flood homes and gardens, it’s something that people really need to be aware of and help take responsibility for.”